Emily graduated from The George Washington University Law School in 2017. While in law school, Emily served as a Notes Editor for the Public Contract Law Journal. She was also a member of the Public Justice Advocacy Clinic. Prior to law school, Emily graduated magna cum laude from Villanova University with a B.A. in Humanities with Political Science and Business minors, in 2014. She was also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Jason C. Jowers is a director at Bayard. He concentrates his practice on corporate, alternative entity, and commercial litigation. He primarily represents members and managers of LLCs, officers and directors of corporations, and companies in high-stakes litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery, Delaware Superior Court, Delaware Supreme Court, and United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Additionally, Jason handles arbitrations governed by the AAA Commercial Arbitration Rules, including cases governed by the Procedures for Large, Complex Commercial Disputes. He has led litigation teams in disputes involving mergers and acquisitions, corporate and LLC control issues, judicial dissolution, and complex commercial arrangements.

In 2016, Jason was appointed by the Superior Court to serve as a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Division Advisory Committee. Additionally, Jason is active in the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association where he previously served as the Chair of the Partnerships and Alternative Entities Sub-Committee of the Business and Corporate Litigation Committee. Jason also regularly authors articles relating to alternative entity litigation and corporate litigation issues.

In addition to his business litigation practice, Jason is active in law-related and charitable organizations. Jason serves as a member of the Delaware Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission and is the Co-Chair of its Judicial Branch Coordination in Helping Pro Se Litigants Subcommittee. He also regularly handles pro bono cases before the United States District Court for the District of Delaware as a member of the Federal Civil Panel. He serves as the Co-Chair of the Delaware High School Mock Trial Competition. Additionally, Jason sits on the boards of the Delaware Law Related Education Center and the Food Bank of Delaware.

Jason has been recognized for his work in corporate law by Best Lawyers® from 2017-2019. Super Lawyers® has honored him as a Business Litigation Rising Star from 2013-2016 and as a Delaware Super Lawyer® in Business Litigation from 2017-2019. He is also a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Benchmark Litigation identified Jason as a Top Litigator Under 40 and Future Star from 2016-2018. He is also AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.*

*Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards: CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies.

Sophie E. Macon is an associate at Bayard. Sophie concentrates her practice in the areas of corporate bankruptcy and restructuring.

Before joining Bayard, Sophie graduated from the Emory University School of Law. While in law school, Sophie served as the Executive Managing Editor of the Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal. In recognition of her work as a staff member for the Journal, Sophie received the Michael P. Gullet Award for Excellence in Legal Writing and Editing in 2016.

Prior to law school, Sophie graduated magna cum laude from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in Political Science and History.

Dan N. Brogan is an associate at Bayard. He concentrates his practice in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring. Dan has represented corporate debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, trustees, official committees, asset purchasers, and other significant parties in various bankruptcy court proceedings. Dan also has years of commercial litigation experience. Prior to joining Bayard in 2018, Dan pursued his practice for five years in the Delaware office of an international law firm.

Dan graduated from Villanova University School of Law in 2012 where he earned the Dorothy Day Award for Pro Bono Service. During his final year in law school, Dan worked as a law clerk at the Delaware Public Defender’s Office. He also worked as an intern at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Prior to law school, Dan earned a B.A. in History from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Brett represents stockholders, directors and officers in litigation in the Court of Chancery in a variety of matters, including demands for appraisal, dissolution, advancement of legal fees and expenses, requests for inspection of corporate books and records, claims regarding the election of directors and fiduciary duty disputes. Brett also represents corporations involving claims arising out of Delaware’s General Corporation Law. Brett represents financial advisors and investment banks in connection with litigation involving mergers and acquisitions and other transactions.

Brett also has extensive experience representing special committees of Delaware corporations. He advises special committees in a variety of circumstances, including mergers, controlling stockholder conflicted transactions, debt issuances, asset sales, strategic alternatives explorations and investigations into stockholder litigation demands. Brett has co-authored sections of an upcoming ABA treatise on special committees as well as stockholder rights plans.

Brett is regularly published in the Delaware Business Court Insider and presently sits as a member of the editorial board for the ABA Corporate Governance Committee’s InSight publication. Brett has been recognized as a Business Litigation Rising Star by Delaware Super Lawyers®.

Peter B. Ladig is a director at Bayard and co-chair of the litigation group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate governance and commercial litigation, business divorce, stockholder litigation, fiduciary duties, partnership and limited liability company disputes, and class action and derivative litigation.

Pete represents stockholders and directors in corporate litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery in a wide range of matters, including advancement of legal fees and expenses, reviews of elections of directors, requests to inspect books and records, and claims for breaches of fiduciary duties. He also represents corporations and other entities in commercial disputes involving breach of contract claims and claims arising under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. He has served on the Rules Committee of the Court of Chancery since 2011 and as one of the principal drafters of Rule 5.1, which prescribes procedures related to public access and confidentiality of documents filed with the Chancery Court. Pete also uses his litigation experience to advise special committees of boards of directors in analyzing conflict transactions or investigating alleged wrongdoing, and he has represented several of each type of committee.

Pete also has extensive experience in the growing area of the “business divorce,” particularly requests for judicial dissolution of limited liability companies and corporations. In addition to representing parties to a business divorce, Pete has experience serving as counsel to a Chancery Court appointed custodian charged with selling an operating company to resolve a business divorce. He co-chairs the Business Divorce Subcommittee of the Business and Corporation Litigation Committee of the Business Law Section of the ABA; has spoken on panels about business divorce; and has made substantial contributions to Litigating the Business Divorce, a publication from BNA.

Pete has been recognized by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the years 2008-2009 and 2011-2019 as one of the leading Chancery Court practitioners in Delaware. Pete has also been recognized by Delaware Super Lawyers® in 2013-2019 for Business Litigation and by Best Lawyers® since 2013. Additionally, Pete was included in Delaware Today magazine’s 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Top Lawyers list for corporate law. He is AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.*

*Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards: CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies.

Prior to joining Bayard, Beth practiced in the corporate and commercial litigation group at another Wilmington law firm. Beth earned her J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School in 2010. After law school, Beth served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Mary M. Johnston, a member of the Delaware Superior Court’s Complex Commercial Litigation Division.

Erin R. Fay is a director at Bayard and focuses her practice on corporate bankruptcy and restructuring. She represents debtors, committees, lenders, creditors, and other parties in complex business bankruptcy proceedings and out-of-court restructurings. Erin represents clients across a range of industries, including retail, energy, healthcare, medical devices, and financial services. Her experience further includes preparing companies for Chapter 7 filings and representing foreign representatives in Chapter 15 proceedings. Erin also has experience representing assignees in assignments for the benefit of creditors under Delaware law in the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Erin clerked for the Honorable Brendan L. Shannon, the Honorable Kevin Gross, and the Honorable Peter J. Walsh of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
Erin graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Erin interned for the Honorable Shirley S. Abrahamson of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, participated in moot court, and participated on the Wisconsin International Law Journal. Prior to law school, Erin graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

Erin is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation. From 2017 to 2019, Erin was selected by Super Lawyers® as a Rising Star in the practice area of business bankruptcy. Erin was also recognized by Chambers USA in 2019 for her work in bankruptcy and restructuring in Delaware.

Megan A. McGovern is an associate at Bayard. She concentrates her practice in family law. Before joining Bayard, Megan served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Charles E. Butler of the Delaware Superior Court for New Castle County, Delaware.

Megan graduated magna cum laude from Delaware Law School, where she was awarded the Honorable Joseph W. deFuria Commencement Award for academic achievement and served as both Internal Managing Editor of the Widener Law Review and Research Assistant to Emeritus Professor Robert Hayman. While in law school, Megan also served as a judicial intern in the Delaware Family Court, a law clerk for Delaware Volunteer Legal Services and as a summer law clerk for the Delaware Department of Justice. During her third year, Megan was selected as a Josiah Oliver Wolcott Fellow, working under Justice Valihura and Justice Vaughn in the Supreme Court of Delaware.

She is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Prior to law school, Megan graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in English and Sociology.

Megan is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Delaware Law Related Education Center, and is also a chairperson on the DELREC Casino Night Fundraiser Planning Committee. She volunteers for Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, the Domestic Violence Advocacy Program, the Federal Re-entry Legal Assistance Program, and the Office of the Child Advocate. Megan has also served as an attorney coach for the St. Mark’s High School Mock Trial Team.

Gregory J. Flasser is an associate at Bayard. Greg concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate bankruptcy and restructuring.

Before joining Bayard, Greg graduated magna cum laude from Delaware Law School, where he also earned the Business Organizations and Business Advising Law Certificates. While in law school, Greg served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Kent A. Jordan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and as the Styles Editor of the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law. Greg was also the Internal Manager of Widener’s Transactional Law Honor Society. Prior to law school, Greg graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2012 with a B.A. in Business Administration and Political Science.

Kara M. Swasey is a director at Bayard. She concentrates her practice in the area of family law, including divorce, custody, child support, adoption, guardianship and protection from abuse. She provides litigation support to Bayard’s bankruptcy, corporate and commercial law practices. Kara also represents landlords in commercial and residential landlord-tenant matters in Justice of the Peace courts throughout the state of Delaware.

Kara is a member of the Executive Committee of the Melson-Arsht Inn of Court and has twice been nominated by the Melson-Arsht Inn of Court to speak at the new attorney admissions ceremony. She is also a Reporter on the Access to Justice Commission’s Subcommittee on Judicial Branch Coordination in Helping Pro Se Litigants. Kara previously served as Chair of the Family Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association during the 2013-2014 term and Vice Chair from 2012-2013. She remains active in the DSBA Family Law Section. In 2011, Kara completed an intensive professional training program in the art of family law advocacy at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s Family Law Advocacy Institute.

Since 2014, Kara has been selected by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Delaware Family Law. Her work also contributed to Bayard’s designation as a Metro tier 1 Best Law Firm in Delaware for Family Law by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Kara has been named in Delaware Today magazine’s Top Lawyers edition since 2015 as a top Delaware family law attorney. Kara is AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.*

Kara currently serves on the Board of Directors for Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, an organization that provides quality pro bono legal services to indigent Delawareans. She also volunteers for DVLS, the Domestic Violence Advocacy Program, the Limited Legal Assistance Program, the Federal Re-entry Legal Assistance Program, and the Office of the Child Advocate. In October 2017, Kara was recognized by the Delaware State Bar Association and awarded the Christopher W. White Distinguished Access to Justice Commitment Award for her dedication to pro bono work in the state of Delaware. In December 2017, Kara received the Delaware State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Distinguished Service Award for her leadership and service to the cause of good citizenship. Kara served as an attorney coach for the St. Mark’s High School Mock Trial Team and participated as a scoring judge in the National Mock Trial Championship held in Wilmington, Delaware in May 2008, and served as a scoring judge for the state competition.

Kara joined Bayard in 2007 after earning her J.D. and M.B.A. from Villanova University. She is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania. During law school, Kara was a Research Assistant to Professor Ann Carey Juliano.

*AV Preeminent and BV Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards.

Evan T. Miller is a director at Bayard. Evan concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, representing preference and fraudulent transfer defendants in addition to debtors, official committees of unsecured creditors, secured creditors, and asset purchasers in bankruptcy courts across the country. Evan has been recognized by Super Lawyers® magazine as a Delaware Rising Star in the practice area of business bankruptcy. In addition to restructuring matters, Evan has experience handling commercial litigation in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania jurisdictions, as well as Delaware Statutory Trust matters. Evan is also a certified mediator for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and is included on the Register of Mediators and Arbitrators maintained by the Court.

Evan created and maintains the Avoidance Action Update Blog at avoidanceactionupdate.bayardlaw.com, which tracks the latest developments in avoidance action case law and jurisprudence.

Evan is very active in the tri-state legal community, currently serving as Chairman of the Turnaround Management Association NextGen Philadelphia chapter (whose scope covers the Philadelphia metro area, the state of Delaware, and southern New Jersey), Assistant Secretary/Treasurer of Delaware Bankruptcy American Inn of Court, and as an executive board member of the Business Law Section for the Philadelphia Bar Association. Previously, Evan served as Chairman and Treasurer of the Delaware State Bar Association’s (DSBA) Young Lawyer Section during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 terms respectively, Vice Chair of the Bankruptcy Committee for the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Division for the 2014-15 term, and Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Committee.

Evan currently serves as one of two member contacts for Meritas, an invitation-only international alliance of over 175 business law firms located in over 80 countries. Bayard is the sole Delaware member of Meritas.

Before joining Bayard, Evan graduated cum laude from the Delaware Law School, as well as with Honors from the Delaware Law School’s Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law. While in law school, Evan served as the Internal Managing Editor of the Widener Law Review for the 2008-2009 academic year. He was also on the executive board of the Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Honor Society, serving as New Member Competition Chairperson, and being awarded Outstanding Executive Board Member during that time. During 2006-2007, Evan served as a legal intern to the Honorable Chandlee Kuhn, Chief Judge of the Family Court of the State of Delaware. In his final year of law school, Evan served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Jane R. Roth of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Prior to law school, Evan was the recipient of the John J. Serff academic scholarship and a member of several honor societies while attending Bloomsburg University. Following graduation from Bloomsburg, he worked for a mid-Atlantic region recruiting firm.

Sara E. Bussiere is an associate in Bayard’s Litigation Department. Sara concentrates her practice on corporate and commercial litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery, Delaware Superior Court, and the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Sara counsels clients concerning the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and Delaware’s alternative entity statutes. Sara has experience in a broad range of corporate matters, including fiduciary duty claims, corporate and alternative entity control disputes, advancement and indemnification claims, trade secret and noncompetition agreement disputes, and other breach of contract claims. Sara also has experience advising corporate entities in receivership or seeking dissolution.

Sara is also a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department. Sara frequently appears before the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, counseling clients and co-counsel on a variety of patent and trademark infringement matters.

In 2018 & 2019, Super Lawyers® recognized Sara as a Delaware Rising Star in the business/corporate field. Sara was also selected as a Fellow for Leadership Delaware, Inc.’s Class of 2018, a rigorous 10-month program for Delaware’s brightest young leaders. Sara currently serves as Bayard’s Young Lawyer liaison for Meritas.

Prior to joining Bayard, Sara served as law clerk to the Honorable John A. Parkins, Jr. on the Delaware Superior Court. She earned her J.D. from the Pennsylvania State Dickinson School of Law in 2012. During law school, Sara served as the Admissions Editor of the Journal of Law and International Affairs. She also served as a teaching assistant for the Penn State Dickinson LLM Program’s legal writing class, in which she worked with lawyers from other countries on legal writing for United States practice.

Sara graduated from Lafayette College with a B.A. in Government and Law, with honors, in 2009. She also served as captain of Lafayette’s varsity softball team.

GianClaudio Finizio is a director at Bayard. He concentrates his practice on bankruptcy and insolvency law, insurance law and counseling companies on mergers and acquisitions, including general corporate and business law matters. GianClaudio regularly represents debtors, official committees of unsecured creditors or equity holders, financial institutions, and publicly and privately held businesses in bankruptcy cases.

GianClaudio also focuses on insurance matters including advising insurance companies regarding compliance with state regulations and changes in ownership or control. During 2008, GianClaudio performed the duties of Deputy Insurance Commissioner for the Insurance Commissioner of Delaware. During 2010 and 2011, GianClaudio also served as counsel to the hearing officer in the matter of the proposed affiliation of Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware, Inc. with Highmark Inc. GianClaudio is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Delaware. He was named a leading lawyer for Bankruptcy/Restructuring in Delaware by Chambers USA in 2017. GianClaudio also currently serves as the firm’s hiring partner and member contact for Meritas™. In 2019, GianClaudio was appointed to the Meritas U.S. Leadership Committee where he will serve a three-year term. Meritas is an invitation only international alliance of over 175 business law firms located in over 80 countries.

Prior to practicing law, he served as a business analyst in Basell USA Inc.’s Health, Safety and Environment, supporting North American manufacturing, research and development facilities in the areas of product regulatory activities, environmental, toxicological, health, safety, and industrial hygiene. While in law school, GianClaudio was a member of Basell’s law department, assisting with litigation and corporate governance matters.

GianClaudio earned a J.D., magna cum laude (co-valedictorian), from the Widener University Delaware Law School, and graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in Biology and Italian. He served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Jane R. Roth in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. GianClaudio is listed as an attorney contact for the State of Delaware by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE – Agenzia per la promozione all’estero e l’internazionale delle imprese Italiane). He is fluent in Italian.

Marla H. Norton is a director at Bayard. She concentrates her practice on business entity law (corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, and statutory trusts), business law and third-party legal opinions. Marla has over thirty (30) years of experience in corporate and commercial transactions, including securitization transactions, corporate and alternative entity formation and governance, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation and drafting, and secured lending.

Marla participates in the American Bar Association Business Law Section, including the LLC, Partnership and Unincorporated Entities Committee, the Legal Opinions Committee, the Middle Market and Small Business Committee, and the Forum on Franchising. She chairs the ABA Model Shareholders Agreement Task Force. She was an ABA Advisor to the Uniform Law Commission (formerly NCCUSL) Series Study Committee in 2012 and the Drafting Committee for the Limited Liability Company Protected Series Act from 2013-17. As a member of the Commercial Law and Corporation Law Sections of the Delaware State Bar Association, Marla is active on the Delaware State Bar Association’s Partnership and LLC Committee and the Statutory Trust Committee.

Marla serves as a Board member and as Secretary for The Delaware Contemporary, a non-collecting art museum in Wilmington, Delaware, where she previously served from 2009-2015. She also serves as a Past President on the Board of Directors of Temple Beth El in Newark, Delaware, having previously served as President from 2010-2012 and as a Board member for over a decade. She is Secretary and a Board member of the Alumni HenLaw Society, an affinity group of the University of Delaware Alumni Association. Marla has previously participated on the Legislative Committee of the Delaware Captive Insurance Association and on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners Delaware (“NAWBO DE”) from 2001 through 2008. She is a member of the Delaware chapter of the Forum of Executive Woman and a Great Dames Circle member.

Marla has been named a leading lawyer by Chambers USA since 2008. She has earned a band 2 ranking in “Corporate/M&A & Alternative Entities” from 2015 through 2019, a band 3 ranking in from 2009-2014 and a band 3 ranking in “Corporate/M&A” in 2008. Marla was named to Delaware Today’s Top Lawyers list in 2016 & 2017 for business-commercial law and in 2017 for corporate law and was listed as a 2007 Delaware Super Lawyer in the field of business/corporate law in the June 2007 issue of Philadelphia magazine. She is AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.*

Marla frequently lectures on topics including business entity matters and buying and selling businesses. She offers a vast array of business and financial transactional experience and knowledge to her clients and the firm.

*AV Preeminent and BV Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards.

Neil B. Glassman is chairman of the Board of Directors of Bayard and is a member of the firm’s bankruptcy group. Neil focuses his practice on bankruptcy and insolvency law, and insurance and entity law. He joined Bayard in 1986.

Neil regularly represents debtors, official committees of unsecured creditors or equity holders, secured lenders, banks and insurance companies, financial institutions and publicly and privately held businesses in large bankruptcy cases and other insolvency proceedings including insurance company insolvencies. An experienced transactional attorney, Neil has also developed a substantial practice representing clients in relation to the law of Delaware business entities including corporations, business trusts, general and limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and conventional and captive insurance companies. Neil has developed a specialty in counseling insurance companies in regulatory matters in Delaware. He is regularly appointed as a hearing officer by the Insurance Commissioner of the State of Delaware in insurance matters pertaining to changes of control and advises merger parties themselves when not acting for the Commissioner.

Neil is a past President of the Commercial Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association and is presently a member of its Statutory Trust Committee as well as a member of the Bankruptcy and the Corporation Law Sections. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Delaware Captive Insurance Association.

Neil is a published author and a frequent speaker on issues and developments in bankruptcy and insolvency law. He has been recognized by Chambers USA from 2006 through 2019 as a leader in bankruptcy and restructuring, and was also named by Best Lawyers® as one of the foremost practitioners in his region. In 2012, 2013, and 2016-2019, he was recognized by Super Lawyers magazine as a Delaware Super Lawyer in business bankruptcy. In 2017, Neil was voted a Top Lawyer in Delaware Today magazine for his work in Business-Commercial Law. Neil is AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.*

*AV Preeminent and BV Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards.

Justin R. Alberto is a director at Bayard and co-chair of the firm’s Business Restructuring and Liquidations group. Justin has participated in many large and complex commercial restructurings, with an emphasis on the representation of debtors, official committees of unsecured creditors and other key parties. In particular, Justin has significant experience negotiating and litigating issues involving valuation, structured finance, section 363 asset sales and contested confirmations in an array of industries including retail, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, energy and banking. He is a frequent speaker on issues involving valuation, debtor-in-possession finance and a recurring guest lecturer of Commercial Bankruptcy Practice and Procedure at Temple University Beasley School of Law. In addition to his restructuring practice, Justin is an experienced litigator with trial experience in Delaware and other state and federal courts involving issues of corporate law and distressed commercial situations. Justin is also a certified mediator for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and is included on the Register of Mediators and Arbitrators maintained by the Court.

Justin is an active participant in the Federal Bar Association, currently serving as a board member for the national Bankruptcy Law Section and as chairperson of the Bankruptcy Section of the Delaware Chapter. He is also a program mentor for the Bankruptcy Trial Practice Seminar sponsored by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and the Federal Bar Association.

Before joining Bayard, Justin graduated cum laude from Widener University Delaware Law School. While in law school, Justin clerked for the Honorable Henry duPont Ridgely, former Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court. He also served as the Managing Editor of the Widener Law Review and was a member of the Moe Levine Mock Trial Honor Society. Prior to law school, Justin graduated with a B.S. in Business and Economics from Springfield College.

Steven R. Director (Steve) is a director and shareholder at Bayard. Steve has close to 40 years of experience in private practice in the areas of business transactions, tax, trust planning and administration (both personal and corporate), estate planning and administration, and business succession planning. Through a “hands-on” approach, Steve develops effective strategies and follow-through steps to assist his entity and individual clients form, acquire, and sell businesses, resolve significant family and entity ownership and related disputes, negotiate and reach agreements with tax authorities, and accomplish his clients’ tax, estate, and trust planning goals. Steve is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in Delaware and Maryland, and the U.S. Tax Court.

Steve advises closely-held businesses, including corporations, limited liability companies, professional practices, and other entities, and their owners on a variety of tax and transactional issues, including structuring and negotiating business formations, acquisitions, divisions, and sales; and advising on business succession planning. He frequently represents taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service and local tax authorities. As a part of his business practice, he represents business and individuals in a variety of commercial transactions. In addition, he has extensive experience in negotiating agreements or disputes to mutually favorable outcomes.

Steve is a former Secretary and Board Member of the Delaware Community Foundation, a former Board Member and Chair of the Legal Committee of Greenville Country Club, a former Board Member/Chair of Planned Parenthood of Delaware, a member of the Board of Governors of the Central Branch (DE) YMCA, and a flag officer of The Corinthian Yacht Club of Philadelphia. Steve is a frequent speaker on a variety of tax, asset protection, trust, estate, and business planning topics at seminars and meetings sponsored by professional and community groups.

*Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards: CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies.